Container or conduit



June 25, 1946. J, H SCHRE|BER 2,402,781

CONTAINER on coNDUIT Filed Feb. 27, 1943 /Z M5 #from/5% Patented June 25,V 1946 UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER R CONDUIT John H. Schreiber, St. Louis, Mo.

Application February 27, 1943, ySerial No. 477,483

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to containers and conduits; and it has special reference to wall structurey for a container or a conduit, and an improved device for conducting fluids or other substances into or from the container or conduit.

A general object vof the invention is to provide a container or conduit wall for enclosing fluid or other substances and havingelastic margins in abutting contact and unattached to each other and forming an impervious or leakproof joint to prevent leakage or loss of the contents, and which' margins will yield to permit the insertion or withdrawal of a tap member or other device for conducting substances into the container or conduit, or withdrawing the contents therefrom. In the attainment of this general objective, it is unimportant whether all or only marginal portions of the wall structure forming the container or conduit be elastic. Either the entire wall structure may be composed of elastic material having abutting unattached edges forming an impervious and leakproof joint, or a portion of the wall structure may be composed of inelastic material while the abutting margins thereof are of elastic material forming an impervious or leakproof joint and permitting the insertion and Withdrawal of the tap or other device for the inllow or outflow of substances.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a container or conduit having abutting elastic margins forming an impervious and leakproof joint for receiving an insertable and withdrawable device adapted to be extended into the container or conduit to conduct and deliver iluids or other substances thereinto or withdraw the same therefrom as desired, and permitting lateral movement of said device longitudinally along and between the abutting unattached edges of the elastic margins, as may be desired.

Various other objects of the invention should be apparent from the following description, reference being made to the annexed drawing, in which- Fig. l is a side elevation of a portion of a container or conduit having elastic abutting margins forming a leakproof joint, the remainder of the wall structure being inelastic.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 1, of a portion of a container or conduit having elastic margins and having a conduit tap device extending between said margins for lateral movement of said device longitudinally of the container or conduit.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional View on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a container having closed ends and embodying the present invention, the tap device being shown extended between the elastic margins of the container Wall.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional View of a container or conduit having the wall structure thereof cornposed wholly of elastic material.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional View of a tap device having a single longitudinal passage with lateral openings for conducting uids or other substances into or withdrawing the same from a container or conduit having abutting elastic margins that are unattached to each other.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. l to 5 inclusive comprises a container for still substances or a portion of a conduit for the flow of the contents in fluid or other form. The container or conduit includes an enclosing wall I of inelastic material such as metal, glass, or solidified plastics having abutting marginal portions 2 and 3 of elastic material such' as rubber integrally or rigidly cemented or otherwise attached to the edges of the wall l and abutting throughout the length of said margins to form an impervious and leakproof joint 4. The abutting edges along the leakproof joint 4 are unattached to each other and may be spread apart to permit the insertion and Withdrawal of a tap or passage device for conducting various substances into or withdrawing the same from the container or conduit. The wall l and the attached margins 2 and 3 thus cooperate to provide an enclosure 5 adapted to receive and contain still substances when the device is embodied in a container, or moving substances when the invention is embodied in a conduit.

The margins 2 and 3 may be separated along their abutting edges to permit insertion of an inelastic tap or passage member 6 having attenuated edges l, an attenuated point 8, and rounded corners S. The tap member 6 may readily be inserted through the joint 4 by extending either one of the rounded attenuated corners 9 through said joint and then turning the tap member to extend the attenuated point 8 thereof through the joint. This leaves the edges of the elastic marginal portions 2 and 3 pressed closely against opposite sides of the tap member 6 and against each other beyond the edges 'I of said tap member so as to provide a continuous leakproof joint. The tap member may be moved laterally along the joint 4 to any desired position, one position of the tap member being shown in solid lines in Fig. 4, and another position of the tap member being shown in broken lines. The tap member may be provided with a number of passages l having lateral openings Il near their inner ends to discharge substances into the enclosure 5 or withdraw the same from said enclosure, as desired.

In Fig. 6, the invention is shown embodied in a container for still substances. The container has end walls I2 closing the ends of the enclosure 5. The tap member 6 is shown extended between the edges of the elastic relatively unattached marginal portions 2 and 3 for conducting substances into the container or withdrawing the same therefrom. The tap member may be moved laterally aiong the joint 4 toward either of the end Walls I2.

Fig. 7 shows an embodiment of the invention in a container or conduit having its entire enc1osing wall I3 composed of elastic material. The edges of the Wall I3 are pressed together by the inherent resiliency of the material to form a leakproof joint I4, permitting insertion or withdrawal of a tap device in the manner already described. In this embodiment of the invention, the wall I3 forms an enclosure I5 which, in a conduit, constitutes a passage for the flow of the contents; and, in a container having closed ends, constitutes enclosing walls for confining still substances. When tne tap member 6 is inserted through the joint I4 in the manner already described, the edges of the elastic wall I3 are pressed closely against al1 interposed sides and surfaces of said tap member to form a leakproof joint and prevent flow of the contents of the container between said walls and said tap member. The tap member may be moved laterally along the joint I4 to any desired position after said tap member has been inserted.

Fig. 8 illustrates a tap member comprising walls I6 forming a single passage II and provided with attenuated edges I8 like the attenuated edges I, and with an attenuated end and rounded corners like the attenuated end 8 and rounded corners 9 shown in Fig. 4. The passage I'I has openings IQ near its inner end analogous to the openings II from the passages III and for a similar purpose. The tap device may be made in other forms as desired.

It should now be apparent that my improved container or conduit includes yieldable elastic margins that are pressed together by the inherent resiliency of the material to provide a leakproof joint. These margins which are unattached to each other will yield laterally when the tap member is inserted between them and will cooperate with said tap member by pressure against all interposed surfaces thereof to maintain the leakproof joint. The tap member may be moved latei'ally of its own axis and longitudinally of the axis of the container or conduit to any desired positions. When the tap member is Withdrawn, the edges of the elastic margins are again pressed closely together by their own inherent elastic qualities to provide and maintain the leakproof joint 4.

The form of the invention may be varied otherwise than in the particulars specifically shown and described, and within the scope of equivalent limits, without departure irom the nature and principle of the invention.

I claim:

1. A tubular wall structure having a longitudinal axis and comprising an elongated wall part having longitudinal spaced edges approximately equidistant i'rom said axis, and elastic elongated wall portions attached to said respective longitudinal of said part and thereby supported in position to cooperate with said wall part to iorm an enclosure for various respective substances, the adjacent longitudinal edges of said portions being approximately equidistant from said axis and in abutting contact and unattached to each other and leaving said portions yieldable laterally ior insertion of a tap member between said edges oi" said elastic wall portions at diflerent longitudinal positions along said Wall por tions.

A conduit including elastic matching wall sections forming a leakproof joint extending para to the oi' the conduit, a tap member having an lelliptical body portion forming attenuated side edges and a bevelled lower section terminating in an attenuated bottom edge, said tap member haring a passageway therethrough for the passage of fluid to and from said conduit.

' A conduit including longitudinal extending eiastic walls having abutting edges and forming a lealrproof joint, a tap member having wedgeshaped side sections adapted to oe inserted between the matching edges of said elastic walls ing a leakproof joint and movable longitudinally therealong in leakproof relation thereto,

tap member being provided with a passageway therethrough for the passage of a 'fluid to or from said conduit.

JOHN H. SCHREIBER. 

